Lacawac hopes nature walk will inspire

“When people become more familiar with something, the more likely they are to want to protect it,” says Janice Poppich.

Poppich, director of operations at the Lacawac Sanctuary, invites everyone on an upcoming Spring Wildlife Walk at the sanctuary, being held Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m.

Tammy Compton

“When people become more familiar with something, the more likely they are to want to protect it,” says Janice Poppich.

Poppich, director of operations at the Lacawac Sanctuary, invites everyone on an upcoming Spring Wildlife Walk at the sanctuary, being held Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m.

Naturalist John Jose is leading the walk, teaching on frogs, salamanders, snakes and turtles. “We have a really rich diversity of plants and animals here,” he said.

Jose says this is the perfect time of year to see migrant songbirds flying through from as far away as Central and South America. He’ll be pointing out Warblers, Vireos, Tanagers, and more. “A fun way to identify them is to listen to their songs,” he says.

They’ll also be flipping over rocks and logs looking for reptiles and amphibians, he said, such as the harmless ring-neck snake, the red-backed salamander and a number of different frogs near the pond.

“If you get out in the woods — take your time and look around — there’s a lot more to our plants and animals than you might realize,” he said.

An environmental educator and field biologist, Jose says his hope is for people to “come away with a little better understanding of what we have here in the overall scheme of things.“ And that they learn what they can do to protect the area’s plants and animals for current and future generations.

Jose says some of the things people can do to make a difference include: joining a land trust or sanctuary, plant native plants, building birdhouses, and supporting their township officials in adopting ordinances that protect the environment.

To find out more about the walk, contact the Lacawac Sanctuary at 689-9494 or visit their website: www.lacawac.org.

The cost of the walk is $5 for Lacawac Sanctuary members and $3 for non-members.

“We invite people to come and see the sanctuary because we consider it Wayne County’s hidden jewel. Lake Lacawac is a national natural landmark,” she said.

Poppich says they have four hiking trails open to the public. They’re also in the process of putting in a 2.7 mile trail that starts at Lacawac and makes it way to Lake Wallenpaupack.
On Sunday, May 3rd, 1:30 p.m., they’ll be holding a dedication for a trail put in last year to Lake Lacawac, their glacial lake.

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